Fiscal year 2016 will see the assignment of female officers for the first time to Pearl Harbor-based Virginia-class attack submarines, the Navy announced..

USS Virginia and USS Minnesota, both East Coast submarines, were selected as the initial two attack subs on which female crew members will serve.

A total of six female officers -- two supply corps and four nuclear-trained -- will report aboard no later than January 2015, the Navy said.

"My plan is to begin by integrating four Virginia-class attack submarines, with the second set of two units being integrated in Fiscal Year 2016," Vice Adm. Michael Connor, commander of submarine forces, said in a news release Tuesday.

"Since Virginia and Minnesota are both Atlantic Fleet submarines home ported in Groton, Conn., I intend to select two Pacific Fleet submarines home ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, early next year," he said.

Pearl Harbor has three Virginia-class subs -- the Hawaii, Texas and North Carolina -- with more expected to be based here as they are built.

"Female officers serving aboard Virginia-class submarines is the next natural step to more fully integrate women into the submarine force," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.

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LMOwrote:

I hope they are on top of their sexual harrassment and sexual assault training.

on October 16,2013 | 02:08AM

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PMINZwrote:

Equality is not a valid issue on a close contact vessel, Coed on a sub is Bad Carma. This is just asking for trouble! Just watch the future and the past. Just why were women bad news on ancient ships? Hormones clash in close quarters.